Brake-shoe



(No Model.)

Patented May 2, I899.

A. L. STREETER.

BRAKE SHOE.

(Application filed Aug. 1'7, 1898.)

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fizz-272327" 1976i Z. 15 57662257? UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALFRED L. STREE'IER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

BRAKE-SHOE.

I SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 624,263, dated May 2,1899.

Application filed August 17, 1898. Serial No. 638,753. X O modeh) To allwhom it may concern.

Be it known that I, ALFRED L. STREETER, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois,have invented a new'and useful Brake-Shoe, of which the following is aspecification.

- This invention relates to brake-sl1oes, and relates particularly tothe type of brake-shoe comprising a grooved or channeled flange portionadapted to engage the flange of a wheel, as in the case of drive-wheelsof locomotives, and a straight flat portion adapted to engage the treadproper of the wheel, the flat portion of the friction-surface of saidshoe being cut away or skeletoned immediately adjacent to said groove orchannel, so as to reduce thefriction-surface at this point, and thusequalize the wear on the wheeldue to the action of the rails and of theshoe, and thus maintain the tread of the wheel'practically straight.Owing to the weakening of shoes of this type, due to the cutting away orskeletoning thereof, it is necessary in order to secure requisitestrength to insure against breaking of the shoes when the brakes areapplied that they be made entirely of steel, which construction is veryexpensive on account of the high price of the material of which the shoeis made.

A primary object of the present invention is to provide a skeletonbrake-shoe of this type made of cast-iron and reinforced, so as topossess requisite strength.

To this end the invention consists in making the body of the shoe ofcast-iron and in securing to the back thereof a steel plate, which iscut away to correspond to the desired skeletoning of the shoe and whichextends laterally over both solid sides thereof and around the flange.

The invention also consists of the various other features, combinationsof features, and details of construction hereinafter described andclaimed.

In the accompanying drawings a brakeshoe embodying my invention is fullyillustrated.

Figure 1 is a plan'view of the face of the shoe. Fig. 2 is a side viewon the flange side thereof. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the back thereof,and Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the line 4 A of Fig. 1.

Formed'in said body portion A of said brake-- shoe, immediately adjacentto the groove or channel a are holes or o enin s a which extendlaterally over so much of the flat portion a of the friction-surface ofthe shoe as receives the greatest wear from the action of the rails,thus reducing the wear on this portion of the wheel-tread due to theaction of the brake-shoe, all in a familiar manner. As shown, also, theholes a extend entirely through the brake-shoe.

The body portion A of my improved brakeshoe is made of cast-iron and isreinforced by means of a strengthening-plate A, secured to the backthereof, which preferably forms one integral piece and extends over boththe flat portion and around the flange of said shoe and is provided withholes or openings corresponding to the holes or openings a in the body Aof said brake-shoe. The plate A is preferably dovetailed into the backof said brake-shoe, both around its entire outer edge and also aroundthe edges of the holes or openings therein. This can be conveniently andeconomically effected by making the plate A smaller than the back ofsaid brake-shoe and the holes or openings in said plate larger than theholes or openings in said shoe, beveling the edges of said plate, asshown at a and then casting the body portion of said shoe upon saidplate in such manner that the back of said plate will be exposed. Inorder to more securely lock the bent or curved edge of the plate A tothe flange of the body of the shoe, I prefer, in addition to dovetailingthe edge of said plate to said flange, to provide holes or openings a inor adjacent to the outer edge of the bent portion of said plate A, whichcovers the flange of the shoe, said holes or openings being preferablyoutwardly flared and being interlocked with studs a secured in andpreferably formed integral with the body portion A of the shoe, as theywill be naturally when the body portion of the shoe is cast upon theplate A. Preferably, also,

the holes or openings a cut out at the edge of the plate A being largestback from the edge, thus not only will the studs a be attached to thebody of the shoe at their ends, but also lengthwise on one side and willoperate to dovetail the edge of said plate securely to the body portionof said shoe on the outsideof the flange. Thus even if the flange wereto break at the bottom of the groove or channel a said plate A wouldoperate to maintain it in position.

As shown, the brake-shoe is designed to be attached to the brake-head bymeans of a hook at on the upper end of said brake-shoe and a bolt orstud on the brake-head, which engages a hole or opening a in the lowerend of said brake-shoe, all in a familiar manner. As shown, also, thehook at is formed integral with the strengthening-plate A.

Among the advantages of a shoe of my invention may beenumerated itsgreat relative strength as compared with shoes made entirely ofcast-iron, thus rendering it possible to wear said shoes much thinnerthan all-castiron shoes, increasing the life of theshoe and reducing thequantity of scrap produced when said shoe is discarded, the interlockingof the body of the shoe with the flexible and practically unbreakablestrengthening-plate, and the great economy in the cost effected, owingto the cheapness of the material used as compared with steel.

' I claim 1. A flanged brake-shoe comprising a castiron body portion, astrengthening-plate of steel or wrought-iron secured to the back thereofand holes or openings in said shoe ad-- jacent to the flange thereof,said strengthening-plate extending laterally on both sides of said holesor openings and around the flange of said shoe, substantially asdescribed.

2. A flanged brake-shoe comprising a castiron body portion, a steel orWrought-iron strengthening-plate, holes or openings in said shoeadjacent to the flange thereof, said strengthening-plate extendinglaterally on both sides of said holes or openings and around the flangeof said shoe, the edges of said plate being dovetailed into the body ofthe shoe around their outer edges and also around the edges of saidholes or openings, substantially as described.

3. A flanged brake-shoe comprising a castiron body portion, a steel orwrought-iron strengthening-plate, holes or openings in said shoeadjacent to the flange thereof, said strengthening-plate extendinglaterally on both sides of said holes or openings and around the flangeof said shoe, holes formed in the flanged edge of said plate and studsor projections formed integral with the body of the shoe,which-interlock with said holes or openings, substantially as described.

4. A flanged brake-shoe comprising a castiron body portion, a steel orWrought-iron strengthening-plate, holes or openings in said shoeadjacent to the flange thereof, said strengthening-plate beingdovetailed into the body of the shoe around its entire edge and alsoaround the edges of the holes or openings in said shoe, holes in theedge of said plate which extends around the flange of the shoe and whichcut out at the edge of said plate and studs orprojections form edintegral with the body of the shoe, which interlock with said holes oropenings in the edge of said plate, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have hereuntoset my hand this 11th day of August, 1898.

ALFRED L. STREETER.

Witnesses:

C. J. BROUGHTON, F. C. (JRITTENDEN.

